I though it was really sad when Asuma died. Especially seeing Shikamaru dealing with it. That whole shogi thing was intense. It also adds a whole new sense of seriousness to the show. Once people start dying, it becomes real. The characters realize the seriousness of what they are dealing with. Anyone of them could die. Life is dangerous, and that's a fact they now have to face.

^ I agree completely.

And yeah Hidan isn't dead but he might as well be because hes virtually gone. Hes just gonna sit the rest of his days underground until the maggots literally eat him up, which is quite cruel but he messed with the wrong people, and seemed to show no remorse for his actions.

I had forgotten about the maggots, buy don't they only eat dead flesh? Everyone keeps saying that Hidan is suffering, but you forget he is a masochist. He enjoys this pain. And now, he gets to live through an eternity of it. Real torture for him, would be sensory deprivation. But regardless of whether he is enjoying himself, we don't need to worry about him anymore. Even if he does manage to to bite his way to the surface, the magical deer, will keep him from going anywhere.